Telegram-herald., 1887-12-05
THE WATER QUESTION
wATsA wosNs MaN Na.fro COWS
Shsa We fgerezse tas Baraea of fsxes
Wa 3. Peseas ops@sea a. city
Norks Azd E2xasa la
Gsstee 4 esk.

who n&Fe xlsl.ea drsld Rapids cuFlnk ths
p~st years 70 isves gate the water sstas-
iisn, xne n9w st.nS rssdy 70 make prsa-
ositisas 10 sappiy the city with good water,
are the falloslsr
Is. Hnnserfors representing w. <. Bal
lock 4 Co, OF New York. WHO have pct
N systsns al csYinster. NJ. Mobile, Ala,
VicksbuT. 4iss-. Sharon. Pa. Wabash,
inc, and ssAsr oitis..
Aessrs. Turnsr ana R2wssn. Of Turner,
Gsrg & RsNsCE. ScsEoa, who have Cen
s.ruetsd sna owa private sysssns 81 Raw
ss.. Via, Piattssoulh. Sss.. Gis Orchard
As.. warren, Ohio. Helena. AsaG.
Maj. Gso, ID. Normal, OF New
poft. \. l., saa B0stea. who
gui!t zEd ewas the systsEa 81 Nswport.
esssca fslls, y. 4. arssnsay and wsu-
kssha. Mas.: Gloucester. hsss.. and in ssses
other cities. lie also paAs the water works
fer Lowell and Lyna. aud part OF Boston,
in Massachusetts $3.50 Havana sad SaBdi-
ago. General Norman has visited the city
twice, and bis Wisconsin manager. MIR.
Weaver, has sisa been here once. locking
over ths Grand Rapids city systesa. Through
Hon. VIM. r. Powers, Major Norman has
mads general proposition 90 buy or tease
the Grand Rapids system. That the ciisr 10
still open appears from the follow
ing interview with Nj. Powers which
Appe1 rcd in . msrniDs paper yesterday:
DO you understand the Norman propo-
sitisa to buy or lease tee oily watsr worEs,
10 be . standing efar which the city can
sccspt stilla" AFR. Powers replied as fol-
lows:
''CsrsainIy, the general proposition was
a standing offer, and they told ms that 81
any tins when requested by the Council.
the Board Of Public Works. or by o commit
Tee OF clIizens they weuid gladly CONS
here and make specifc and detailed prope-
silions eiiher for buying the works outright
or for leasing them for term of years.
Their original proposition was TO buy the
works at cost Hgures; but ss this Was be-
fore the courts decided the Hydraulic O0m-
pAny's charter unassailxble IL 10 qaits proc
able that the Normsns, in view Of this COM
petition, might not now make 20 favor
able proposition IS regards the price TO
be paid for the plant; but they stand
ready To come hare and buy or lease the
works on the most faVoraois terms 10 the
city that facts will warrant. The head Ci
the Eormsa COMPANY Is one of the best
practical hydraulic engineers In the ooun-
.ry, and the company now owns and runs
the water works In ten or = dozen New En-
gland citiss-works which were originally
after tkey had been run At a loss for years
The Normsns command great amount OF
capital, and not only are large owners OF
water vsrfs themselves, bnt are all tae
| time sliiding them for cities aud water
CO pei,ies sll ever the country, and there
| A no possible doubt Of their ability rs
water en- z4s eers or in fnsncisl way"
.WAat was heir proposition in regard 70
the rates for furnishiog water. provided
they bought or leased the works."
That the rates chxrged 20 citizens should
be a. least ss low zs the Bressnt city water
rates. aud hs, they wonid furnish water
| for lire protection snO public purposes st a
| cost per ky6rAnt far lsss than ssy ofer yet
pl sds to the Couacil. the sssins - bs great
| ly extended &C "a to properly sccsmraccstt
| citizens and "a, so1rfdsncs OIL pure water 70
| be supplied for sn purposes. The lease
| proposition, made when Er. Norman wa'
! here On hi, way back from GTesn Bay
via, wss this: rhst ms COMPANY weuc
I lease tho Guys works for twenty years
I SECURE an abundance o. pure water, 60 ex
| tend tke mains 80 Is 70 accommodate al
| parts al the city, furRigh pure water =
| private citizens Al . coz, rot 10 ezcesd
! what sey nos pay, ano - sae city
/ for much less thRn any offer hith-
! eIto made A. the end of tke year th'
! com pauv would mSEe new lease, or tur1
| tbs vorks over 10 the cIiy; II the cts
/ should choose the latter, then the company
| 10 he paid for the Improvements FoAce, th'
value II said Improvements 10 DC cetsT
! misei OF appraisers appointed IN tne asual
wzy-ohe 0y the cits. O1e ey tie company
lant sosse two 10 ckoose tnird. All thsl
| ths Council, the Board Of PuslC WORKS. .gI
a committees oil ciiz as need - % n orter
/ n urinR ~. Norman here with f9rMsi
| ossoite. ostsilcd preposisions. either for
| vnrchsss OF ls.se, ar both, iE ~ notify hl "a
| ths, such PROPOSITIONS arc wsnted.'
| "N'hst 90 you think, M. Powers. of the
! n-onexf,ion TO BE- voted or neIt Tuesday. 10
bond IA. city for $4,000 t. extend ths
mains ana give nigh prsssurs service on
| the hillY''
"Under present conditions am op-
nossd To n y rcplied Mr.. Powers, "becs rss
( L means q heavy increased burden of taxa.
| tior 10 gain an end which can be far better
| sscuysd tlfrrn,fl 3 private company. and
| = - cry witho Ut a cent Of incrsxsed 'axs
| tion. but With a decided decrease 10 the TAI
| burdens. 4 year szo TIE city could havc
| sold eat it, wassr plant at cost, for $3s2, rJl
| the amount oi its vassr deot. IL could
/ net. prossbiy, do quite N well now, oWlns
| To the decision sesinss the city IN the sa-
| preme ceuIt. though possibly 1t might stil
| 10 .n!e TO virs out TIE vbole wafer cesi
hr he sale Of the old half worn cut works
and the franchise with il. The interest
| on this water debt is now just 49,
| 600 q yeer-iust 30 much yearly tsxs'
tisr saved II tbs water DEBT in wiped out
on the ott eT hand. II this -stsr lean II
| voted Tuesday IL will increase he wste'
DAB, 10 s632. .oco and yet there will remain
q prsper vstsg supply 10 be provides fos
| AZ cit,y~rs car never - conylnosd that tbs
| r,vsr vat.r is st for domestic gses. The re
sult vf'l be that, II toe city goes on ia n
| rftsynpts 10 csrry on The water husinsss
i's water DEBT alone viii amount from
million 20 \ million aud ausfser dollars
for a always costs far more -
uunicipslities 10 carry On works O
this kind thsu IL Goes private com
Dsnias. Then. besides fhss water Gsbt, ,tBsF'
vii. be the scbooi building 0ebt. now SOS.
90 Ard the clt- hal Debt Of t2l5. 90
20 sav nothing O. The coming Count
| Ccult House sisUt Heavy tsTstion is VIA
| n.-hfens anufactufinE capitalists avs
frtna ctr. AID one reason 81 Grand Rap
| ids success sa5 progress r lie iaCf ms
hithsTto tarsiion has reaersiiT zen iigai
! mere j. no sarsr ~s7 81 kssT iBg nsw "a
/ ifss Frcrz iu fsstiEg here ~ 6. dririnE T1ei
I ent cspits oaf. than hT rolling 80 +tfes
/ rsr aed irsekfsdness. j it we're Decssssr
20 i1car SSH osot - ofasr 20 seer
naat sil con 81 wemasi hzve-s p1Ts -
asaass1f -ieT sgpElg-s7en srtion veu
/ rs insti1ts ss l1t. rE1E w1olF Un1e -
.srr x3eA fa.. = - iU2efsDsi5ie. had -
zeas % have she f.fags bussHsss Te
rstsgs sf Be- c4ly a. heart shoas5 vots 81
iaes3sy-